Red Hill Summit
by Rawhide
Summary: Rows of cotton and corn lined the scenery. He was returning to the one place he promised himself he would never go again. She was down there though, and no one denies the Scarecrow.
1. Chapter 1

**_AN: Well here's another new story. I hope you enjoy it. This is rated "T" and will be moved to "M" for a few reasons, more so in the later chapters. This does have some strong language so be warned. As you all might have guessed, I do not own any character used!_**

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Rows of cotton, about knee high, went on for miles as the train climbed through the south's rolling hills, far away from Gotham. Jasmine and magnolia's familiar scents filled the air around the Tennessee mountain region. In the fourth boxcar, a figure, dressed in a scarecrow's rags, made himself hidden amongst the many kinds crates and other goods. He was going back to the one place he promised himself he would never return to, the place that made his life a living hell. Peering out the boxcar, the stow-away waited for the state lines as the locomotive lingered along. Pain slightly gripped his jaw while anger forced his teeth to grind together. Leaning his long, skeletal frame against the back wall, he tried to relax as he recalled as to why he was going back.

"Just enjoy the fucking ride, Jon!" a voice deep in his mind yelled as their means of transportation bounced along the miles of steel tracks.

"Easy for you to say," Jonathan grumbled in response, pulling his knees up to his chest, "You didn't have to live with all the shit I had to put up with!"

"On the contrary, Johnny-Boy! In case you do not recall, I was the one who helped you end all the torment the very first time you let me in charge. Remember how good it felt to watch Sherri's perfect little face splatter against the windshield? Or how about Bo? Mister Perfect Jock never did walk again after that! Admit it, Jon, when it comes right down to it, I was the only one there with you."

Jonathan remained silent for a few moments. A smile slithered its way across his lips as he recollected that day many years ago when him and Scarecrow took care of his greatest demons in life.

"We'll be there soon," Scarecrow growled after a while of complete silence, if not for the occasional sound of boxes smacking together. "I can almost see that bitch already! Nobody denies the Scarecrow!"

Crane nodded.

Throwing a few glances outside, he could vaguely recognize some of the scenery. Many of the views in Tennessee looked much like the rest of the south. Oceans of corn stalks and cotton on either side of the traveling locomotive, stretching over the countless acres of slight hills in the farmland. In the distance, on top of the mountains, forests made of dense oaks, towering pines, maples and cedars lined the setting sun's mural of red and yellow sky. Rushing water of one of the mighty rivers roared as the locomotive clunked over the low bridge. It was some of the houses he recognized as he took the same ride, a long time ago.

His eyes became heavy as he took in the slightly changing scenes before him.

"Stay the fuck awake!" Scarecrow barked. "The last thing we need is for you to miss our stop!"

"Why don't you take over then?" Jonathan replied with a yawn.

"Fine by me."

Jonathan's blue eye's closed, but opened quickly. They were darker, and his serene smile turned into a twisted grin. He stood up and walked around to stretch out his legs. Long fingers felt the button on a canister of fear gas up his sleeve. With an inaudible grumble, the Scarecrow looked out the boxcar once more. He saw giant green sign with the words "Welcome to Georgia" written in white letters.

* * *

"Scarecrow's gone again, Batman," Commissioner Gordon said looking around at the broken cell in Arkham. Several guards lay dead on the brown and amber colored floors with their throat's slit wide open. All had there mouth's frozen in a permanent scream. "Something got him riled up real bad this time."

"Albright," A looming figure appearing from inside the cell replied. "She was a law student. Crane took an interest in her. She didn't want anything to do with him. He doesn't like to take 'no' as an answer."

The aging Gotham Police Commissioner nodded as he looked around.

"Have any idea where he went?" he asked.

Batman remained silent, but only for a moment. "Robbin and I will search the city. Knowing Crane, he will mess up sooner or later."

The Dark Knight was on his way out. He stopped suddenly.

"Where is Ms. Albright?"

"We relocated her, Batman. She's at Red Hill Summit, Georgia. They have a college for her to finish up her degree."

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"We are here," Jonathan informed. "Just wait until-"

He stopped talking, realizing he wasn't being heard anyways. The Scarecrow made his way to the roof of the boxcar and leapt across to the one in front of it as he made his way towards the last car. After examining the ground on the sides of the locomotive, he jumped from it, and landed on his hands and feet. Standing up, Scarecrow watched the train disappear into the distance. Looking towards the west, he started walking. Approximately thirty minutes later, they came to their destination.

There was a town up ahead. Another green sign stood next to a paved road. "Red Hill Summit" and an arrow pointing left was also written in white letters.

The Scarecrow laughed to himself, "Becky Albright, you will be mine."

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_**AN: Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter should be up soon.**_

**_Thanks again!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Well here's an update! This is rated "T" and will be moved to "M" for a few reasons, more so in the later chapters. This chapter might have some strong language so be warned. Red Hill Summit, Georgia doesn't really exist. Just made up for fictional reasons. As you all might have guessed, I do not own any character used!_**

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The towering brick building in front of him was indeed impressive, especially for a small town, such as Red Hill. Adjusting his eyesight to the darkness night had to offer, Jonathan Crane made his way around the college, and towards the barn a senior couple was allowing him to use for the next few nights. That is, until Crane could make the place more...permanent. One thing he loved, and most likely one of the only things he loved, about Georgia, was the people's trusting nature.

A strong wind howled as it pounded it's way across the summit. He pulled the collar of his tweed jacket closer. Sticks and leaves snapped from beneath his feet, and off to his left, an owl screeched. Up ahead he could see the barn. There was nothing special about the place used to house horses and other livestock. Faded crimson paint and a rusting, white, metal door made up the exterior. Jonathan grabbed the black handle, and opened the door by sliding it to his left. The smell of old hay characterized most barns, this one was no different. As soon as he was inside, he closed the door. Empty stalls and cobwebs in almost all the corners proved this building hasn't sheltered anything in a long while.

Crane made his way across the concrete floor until he came to the fourth stall on the right. Undoing the lock by, sliding a metal latch out of the metal loop, he opened the gate, and stepped inside. Before him was another man, tied down with thick ropes with a long silver piece of duct tape wrapped around his head and across his mouth, in a pile of hay.

"I am terribly sorry about this, Professor Donahue," Jonathan said in a calm voice. "But in order for my plans to proceed, I will require your position at the Red Hill Summit University. For me to do that, I will require your removal."

As Crane stuck one of his hands in a jacket pocket, muffled cries escaped the writhing man on the ground.

"Unfortunately I can't allow you to scream. That would cause a lot of commotion, which will most likely bring out the old man and woman, and than I could be caught." Jonathan's voice grew deeper. He pulled out a syringe with a long needle and a green liquid inside.

"That a boy, Jon," Scarecrow's voice growled quietly from inside Crane's mind. "Stick the son of bitch with that damn needle!"

Jonathan knelt down beside the university professor. Grabbing his wrist, he stuck the long needle deep into his vein, and let the liquid drain in. Watching the seemingly calm man buck and attempt to scream was almost a great treat. Deep inside him, Scarecrow wanted more.

Within a blink of an eye, Scarecrow took his chance to be in charge. Taking the burlap mask out of his pocket, he quickly threw it over his head. He took a handful of ropes that were tied to the man and started dragging him out the back door. Knowing what kind of panic the sound of a terrified man could cause, Jonathan had to concentrate and try not to let Scarecrow release their victim within the town's hearing range.

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"Find anything yet?" Robin's voice came over the earpiece in Batman's cowl.

"No." Was the Dark Knight's response. "How much luck are you and Dick having?"

"Same as you, I guess." Robin replied from his position on top of Gotham University. "We tried every other know place to Scarecrow's usual hide outs, and nothing. Seems like he just disappeared!"

"You can't just disappear, Tim. I'm having Oracle check train stations and airplane lines to see if we can get a lead from that. Check back with me if you find anything."

* * *

With a quick flick of the wrist, Scarecrow cut the squirming professor free. Not looking back behind him, Donahue ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

"It won't be long before the toxin takes control," Jonathan stated as he and Scarecrow watched the panicking man run towards the town.

"I'm callin' the fucken cops!" The professor screamed as he ran.

"I wouldn't worry about the fucking cops," Scarecrow sneered. "I'd worry about what Crane just injected you with and how long your going to last."

"It should not be long with him running like that," Jonathan replied. "The toxin will just work faster with his adrenaline levels racing like they are. I would bet he does not even have-"

Jonathan was cut short as he watched the running professor fall face forward.

"Never mind, Jonathan! He didn't even get a quarter of the way back," Scarecrow replied.

Taking one last glance at the dead professor, before running back towards the barn and house, Scarecrow took off his mask, and let Jonathan in control. Not much later, Crane found himself pounding on the house door. An old man answered the door.

"What in hell is yer problem, boy?" He grumbled groggily.

"I'm sorry, sir," Jonathan feigned a slight sense of shock in his voice. "I just went for a little walk and there's a dead man laying not to far away from the barn!"

XXX

"Well, I must say it's a damn good thing ya happened to be around here," The headmaster of the Red Hill Summit College said after having a brief interview with the man across from him. "Now, what did you say yer name was?"

"Just call me Professor Faer," the Jonathan responded. "I'm sorry about the loss of your staff member."

"It's a shame alright," The headmaster replied. "Donahue has been our leading professor in psychology for over twenty-five years, now. Never thought he'd just have a heart attack like that..."

Scarecrow smiled somewhere within Crane's psyche. On the outside, he appeared as apologetic as he sounded.

"When do you think you can start?" The headmaster asked.

"Whenever you need me."

Two hours later, Jonathan found himself preforming the one action he never would have thought himself doing again, walking into a classroom. There was a slightly raised area with desks all around it. Slowly, he walked towards the podium in the center of the wooden floored area. He quickly looked over the schedule and planners for the day, sat down in a chair, and waited for classes to start. At around nine-thirty, a bunch of typical college students came flooding through the door.

His blue eyes scanned the crowd for the person he came all this way to see. When the group was all seated, he found who he was searching for. She wasn't that hard to recoginize, considering she still walked with a cane and was the only person that appeared ready to start class.

After brushing a stray piece of her auburn hair, Rebbecca Albright took a seat in the front row.

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_**AN: Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter should be up soon.**_

**_Thanks again!_**


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